Heart failure awareness and influencing factors among adults in the Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Heart failure (HF) is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s requirements, causing multiple significant symptoms that affect the patient’s quality of life. Worldwide, HF awareness is known to be low. However, no studies have assessed the levels of awareness of HF and their influencing factors in our region. This study aims to investigate the knowledge of HF and its influencing factors among adults in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Adult participants (≥18 years) were recruited using an online, self-administered structured questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of HF definition, symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants’ responses, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with higher HF knowledge. Out of 399 respondents, more than half 51.6% identified HF as a condition involving the heart’s pumping failure. As far as symptoms are concerned, only 16.3% recognized shortness of breath, about 1.8% noted reduced exercise tolerance, and only 1.5% identified leg edema as typical symptoms of HF. About 45.6% of the participants were aware of all 3 symptoms. Moreover, participants with higher education exhibited higher levels of knowledge. Less than half of the participants correctly identified cardiovascular conditions leading to HF 45.9%. Knowledge regarding HF treatment was also insufficient; some participants believed that HF has no effective treatment or requires prolonged bed rest. Additionally, working in the medical field was significantly associated with better knowledge about HF (odds ratio = 3.38, 95% confidence interval: 2.11–5.54). The study found inadequate knowledge among participants, particularly regarding the most common causes of HF and the measures to reduce the risk of developing it. These findings highlight the need for improved education and awareness programs to address misconceptions and provide accurate information about HF and its management.